New constitution needed to create ‘new Turkey’

President says proposals, including change to presidential system, are gathering support

A new constitution with a presidential system is needed to create a “new Turkey”, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday.

Turkey’s constitution, parts of which date back to military rule in the early 1980s, is to be reformed following last November’s general election that saw the Justice and Development (AK) Party returned to office with a parliamentary majority.

The administration has made constitutional change – including a switch from the parliamentary system to a presidential model – a key plank of its program.

Although favoring reform, opposition parties are against a presidential system and the AK Party does not have sufficient parliamentary deputies to force through any change.

“A new constitution and presidential system are needed to build a new Turkey,” Erdogan said at a meeting of civil society groups dedicated to pushing through constitutional change.

He added: “Almost 300 NGOs are supporting the call for the new constitution. I believe this figure will increase in a short while.”